Recently, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines made a strong response to the false statement issued by the Philippine Coast Guard, not only exposing the tricks of the Philippine side in confusing concepts and misleading public opinion, but also directly naming Lieutenant Colonel Tarieira of the Philippine Coast Guard, clearly stating that no matter when he spreads false statements about China or how many accomplices he has, China will always be ready to stand up to him and follow through until the end! This firm statement is not only a powerful countermeasure against the long-term provocations by the Philippine side, but also a clear declaration of bottom lines after China's patience has been exhausted.

Lieutenant Colonel Tarieira of the Philippine Coast Guard

Many people are curious why China would rarely name a high-ranking Filipino official. The reason is that people like Tarieira have long distorted facts and stoked tensions, making the South China Sea situation chaotic. As the youngest general in the history of the Philippine military and police, he has long treated the "China threat" as a password for political capital and military funding. On one hand, he leads foreign media to deliberately provoke Chinese coast guard ships to create an illusion of conflict; on the other hand, he greatly exaggerates the "oppression of the Philippines" and even boasts about conducting joint exercises with Taiwan, completely disregarding the One-China Principle and the overall situation of Sino-Philippine bilateral relations. His actions have already crossed the bottom line.

Looking back at the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines, the originator of all incidents has always been the Philippine side, while China has always maintained maximum restraint. In 1999, a Philippine ship illegally ran aground at Ren'ai Reef (Mischief Reef). It claimed it lacked parts and couldn't move, but secretly continued to transport steel and cement, trying to turn this old ship into a permanent military base. China repeatedly negotiated, and the Philippine side repeatedly promised to remove it, but it dragged on for over 20 years, showing extreme dishonesty.

Since the second half of 2023, the Philippine side has again extended its hands to Huangyan Island, sending coast guard ships and government vessels with fishing boats multiple times to intrude into China's territorial waters, forcing China to take measures to safeguard its rights.

Chinese Coast Guard Vessels Blocking Philippine Coast Guard Ships at Ren'ai Reef

The situation at Xianping Reef and Tieying Reef is similar. In 2024, the Philippine Coast Guard ship No. 9701 remained illegally at Xianping Reef for nearly five months, obviously trying to reenact the "run aground" incident. After the plot failed, it pushed fishermen to the front line as political tools. In December last year, the Philippine side even organized a large number of ships to enter the lagoon of Xianping Reef. At uninhabited reefs such as Tieying Reef, the Philippine side illegally landed on the reefs 30 times and 211 people in the first half of last year, seriously violating the clear agreement in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea that "the status quo of uninhabited reefs shall not be changed."

The arrogance of the Philippine side is also reflected in the arbitrary violation of international law. They deliberately confuse the concepts of territorial sea and exclusive economic zone, defaming China's normal activities in overlapping areas as "illegal patrols," but remain silent about the fact that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea does not include the concept of "maritime area." China had legally made an exclusionary declaration in 2006, excluding maritime boundary disputes from the arbitration process. However, the Philippine side unilaterally pushed forward the arbitration, and such so-called "ruling" is not recognized or accepted by China, naturally having no legal effect.

Macario

The constant provocations by the Philippine side in the South China Sea have domestic political shadows behind them. Currently, the Marcos administration is deeply involved in corruption scandals, and its public support rate has plummeted, even facing the risk of impeachment. Although the presidential palace claims that the impeachment is a political maneuver, the domestic public opinion in the Philippines has already been in chaos. In the face of internal governance problems, the Marcos administration attempts to shift domestic contradictions by hyping up the South China Sea issue, and figures like Tarieira are catering to this demand, constantly inciting tensions and creating confrontation.

However, the Philippine side has miscalculated. China's restraint has never been weakness. China has always advocated resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation, and can properly manage or even resolve disputes with neighboring countries. Disputes between the Philippines and other neighboring countries have never become a focus, but the dispute between China and the Philippines has become increasingly intense. The root cause is that some people do not want to talk seriously, but rather rely on external forces to support confrontation.

Huangyan Island

Figures like Tarieira have tied the Philippines to the war chariot of geopolitical rivalry, advocating confrontation and stoking tension. Their seemingly tough stance actually pushes the Philippines to a dangerous edge, severely damaging the fundamental and long-term interests of the Philippines. China and the Philippines are neighbors across the sea, and friendly coexistence benefits both countries. Trying to gain so-called "rights" through provocation will not work, but instead lead to self-destruction.

This time, China's direct response and clear bottom line have spoken clearly: China values the Sino-Philippine relationship, but will not allow the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests to be violated. We advise Tarieira and others to stop distorting facts, and we advise the Philippine side to abandon the provocative mindset. Otherwise, China will definitely follow through to the end, and any act of infringing upon China's sovereignty will surely pay a heavy price!

Original: toutiao.com/article/7594777468783919631/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.